Chapter 18 - Not a Negotiation #3
"I didn't ask you to change your mind."
His jaw tightened.
"I didn't ask you to dance with me."
"I know."
"You did that."
"Yes."
The word was quiet.
But it was there.
"You walked across that room after Ethan asked me to dance."
His face closed slightly.
"You held out your hand."
I could hear my own heartbeat.
"You asked me."
Nothing.
"And then you stood there with your hand on my waist and told me, There you are."
His eyes didn't leave mine.
"Do you have any idea what that did to me?"
His lips parted.
Nothing came out.
"Of course you don't."
I laughed once and looked away.
"Then Monday happened."
Something in his face changed.
There it was.
He knew.
"Oh, you remember Monday."
"Angelica-"
"Everybody was joking about us."
"I know."
"I saw your face."
He went still.
"I saw you shut down."
Nothing.
"I saw exactly what was happening."
I stepped closer to his desk.
"And do you know what I did?"
He didn't answer.
"I stopped them."
His eyes held mine.
"I told Maya to stop. I told Ben to stop."
My throat tightened.
"I stood there in front of everyone and told them there was nothing happening between us."
His face changed.
Just slightly.
"I told them there never had been."
Silence.
"I told them you were my boss."
My voice shook.
"And I was your employee."
His jaw clenched.
"I gave you exactly what you wanted."
"Angelica-"
"No."
My voice cracked.
I hated that.
I kept going anyway.
"I saw that you were uncomfortable, and I gave you an escape."
His eyes closed briefly.
"I made sure nobody could ask you anything. Nobody could expect anything from you. Nobody could look at you and wonder what the hell was happening between us."
I swallowed hard.
"And three hours later, you sat across from me in a conference room and used those exact words against me."
His eyes opened.
I could see it hit.
Good.
"You reminded me that you're my boss."
"Angelica-"
"You reminded me that I'm your employee."
"I know."
"You told me you'd tolerated me."
His face tightened.
"I shouldn't have said that."
"No. You shouldn't have."
"I apologized."
"And I know you meant it."
That stopped him.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
"I know you were sorry."
My voice was quieter now.
"That isn't the problem."
"Then what is?"
I stared at him.
"You don't get to hurt me every time you're scared."
Silence.
Complete.
Adrian didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Nothing.
I felt something inside me crack open.
"You don't."
His jaw tightened.
"You don't get to come close to me when it feels safe and then shove me away the second it doesn't."
"I wasn't-"
"Yes, you were."
He stopped.
"You've been doing it for months."
His face hardened.
Not angry.
The wall.
I knew that face.
God, I knew that face.
"You care when nobody's asking you to."
Nothing.
"You come looking for me when something is wrong."
Nothing.
"You held me when I cried."
His throat moved.
"You crossed a ballroom because another man asked me to dance."
His eyes sharpened.
"And then the second people noticed us, you made me feel stupid for ever believing any of it meant something."
"I never said you were stupid."
"You didn't have to."
"Angelica."
"I'm tired."
My eyes burned.
"I am so fucking tired of trying to understand you."
He stared at me.
"I'm tired of wondering whether I imagined this."
"You didn't."
The words came so quietly I almost missed them.
I froze.
Adrian froze too.
For one second-
there was no wall.
Just him.
I stared at him.
"What?"
His face changed.
And there it was again.
The wall came down between us so fast it almost hurt to watch.
"No."
I shook my head.
"No. Don't do that."
"Angelica-"
"You just said I didn't imagine it."
He said nothing.
"Look at me."
His eyes were already on mine.
"Do you have feelings for me?"
Nothing.
Not even a breath.
I waited.
His face was completely unreadable now.
Controlled.
Closed.
Adrian Vale, CEO.
My chest hurt.
"It's a simple question."
His jaw tightened.
"Angelica."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"Not Ms. Stone. Not your employee. Not someone who works for you for another two weeks."
My voice dropped.
"Me."
He stared at me.
"And not Adrian Vale, CEO."
I swallowed.
"You."
Something moved behind his eyes.
I saw it.
"Do you have feelings for me?"
His lips parted.
Nothing.
My eyes burned harder.
Still, I waited.
"Do you want me, Adrian?"
His entire body went still.
There.
That hit him.
I could see it.
So I gave him nowhere left to hide.
"When you look at me-when it's just you and me and there's nobody here for you to be afraid of-do you want me?"
His breathing changed.
Barely.
But he didn't answer.
"Do you?"
Silence.
I waited.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
I nodded.
Slowly.
"Okay."
His face changed.
"Angelica-"
"No."
I stepped back.
"You wanted to know why I'm leaving."
I looked at the resignation letter lying between us.
"That's why."
Then I turned toward the door.